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The differences between licensed professional counselors and lead counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lead counselor has an average salary of $178,478, which is higher than the $94,675 average annual salary of a licensed professional counselor.
The top three skills for a licensed professional counselor include patients, social work and LPC. The most important skills for a lead counselor are legal advice, litigation, and work ethic.
| Licensed Professional Counselor | Lead Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $94,675 | $178,478 |
| Hourly rate | $45.52 | $85.81 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 153,612 | 74,247 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A licensed professional counselor is a healthcare professional who specializes in providing therapy and counseling to patients with emotional and mental health issues. They listen to their patients and utilize various techniques to address concerns and help through the healing procedures. Their duties entail conducting interviews and evaluations, performing research and assessments, studying the patients' medical histories, providing consultations, and developing treatment plans that suit every patients' needs. Additionally, a licensed professional counselor monitors and records their patients' progress, adjusting treatments and medications as necessary.
A Lead Counselor is responsible for the management of patients' mental health and rehabilitation services. Often, they help them to recover from a tragic or traumatic kind of situation. They also help the patient cope with family and job-related stress and other personal issues. They teach other staff and especially clients to educate them in dealing with stress management and eventually monitor their progress. This person should also have strong written and verbal communication skills.
Licensed professional counselors and lead counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Licensed Professional Counselor | Lead Counselor | |
| Average salary | $94,675 | $178,478 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $122,000 | Between $100,000 And $315,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Bloomberg | MDI |
| Best paying industry | Real Estate | - |
There are a few differences between a licensed professional counselor and a lead counselor in terms of educational background:
| Licensed Professional Counselor | Lead Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between licensed professional counselors' and lead counselors' demographics:
| Licensed Professional Counselor | Lead Counselor | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2% | Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 11% |